Random Music Talk XXII: GAF, Hitman of Shitty Opening Acts

[LemonMelon]

man i hate so many of the songs that have been mentioned/posted.

the lead singer of REO Speedwagon is on one of those infomercials, selling like a 14-disc 80s power ballads box set.

Hard rock box sets could so very easily be condensed into two tracks: 1 rawk anthem about chicks and 1 power ballad about women.

 

[IWasBored]

with a 3rd bonus disc thrown in about cars?

 

[martha]

Jesus Christ. I was in college during the 80s, and watched MTV, and I haven't heard of most of these songs you guys are talking about.

 

[LemonMelon]

Elvis Costello is an awesome motherfucker, but he has like 49640640604 albums, so it has been really difficult for me to work into his discography. That hasn't deterred me, however. Listened to Get Happy tonight, and I'm really, really glad I did. 20 songs and 48 minutes, but in spite of some filler, it's so thrilling that you barely notice any time pass.

And this, THIS is one of the best songs I've heard all year:

YouTube - Elvis Costello - New Amsterdam

Superb lyricism, terrible video.

 

[lazarus]

Get Happy is great, but try Imperial Bedroom, dude.

Also, let me put in a good word for relatively recent gem When I Was Cruel.

 

[lazarus]

Also, it should be noted that Imperial Bedroom won the Pazz & Jop critics poll for 1982, pretty much the best consensus list on a yearly basis.

 

[LemonMelon]

Already have. Good stuff, but my favorite will always be My Aim Is True, unpopular opinion though that may be. Oh, and Blood And Chocolate. Angry as all hell, which for a guy like Costello means inspiration can't be far behind:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knTvHRz_qnU&feature=related

 

[IWasBored]

elvis costello is indeed the man. unfortunatly, i've also still only got a handful of his ridiculously expansive discography. and as an ocd completist freak at heart, i've always had problems with this. i could ask you all opinions on which 4 albums moreso than the rest of his albums i need and get 4 radically different answers that would still mean i eventually have to get everything...

 

[lazarus]

This Year's Model is a definite. I'm pretty sure most would agree with that.

Imperial Bedroom has a lot of interesting production to match the writing, which is why I like it so much. Definitely a stand out disc.

 

[IWasBored]

i have this year's model, blood & chocolate, and my aim is true. i thought i had get happy and at least one other album, but i can't find them if i do...

 

[martha]

I dreamed about Dan Fogelberg last night.

No more Charles Bronson movies before bed.

 

[martha]

And about Elvis Costello: While I've found most of his recent work disappointing, I really like The Delivery Man.

 

[If you shout...]

THE DRUMMER FROM DEF LEPPARD'S ONLY GOT ONE ARM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YouTube - Bloodhound Gang - Why's Everybody Always Pickin' On Me?

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

You know a band that I basically forgot existed? TV On The Radio. Their last album was fucking great.

GAF, I don't know if you saw my post, but I did listen to Speak Now.

Good shit. AOTY. Did you like any of the songs?

This seriously cracked me up. But, IYS, have you started drinking?

 

[If you shout...]

No.

 

[Imperor]

You know a band that I basically forgot existed? TV On The Radio.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

Is that a recent candid photograph of Kevin Kolb?

 

[lazarus]

You know a band that I basically forgot existed? TV On The Radio.

Racist.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

Random thought:

Has it ever bugged anybody that Bono uses the word "ground" twice in the first three lines of Angel of Harlem?

It was a cold and wet December day
When we touched the ground at JFK
Snow was melting on the ground

For some reason listening to the song just now, it struck me as sounding really awkward and amateurish. Bad poetry. If I was writing lyrics to a song, I would never repeat the same mundane word twice in such close proximity. And that's why I'm sitting in my computer chair, and he's a super rich, super cool rock star.

Anyway, just a meaningless thought. I do think he was, for the most part, writing great lyrics around the time of this song, and there are some other strong lines within Angel of Harlem, but that part just seems weak.

 

[Dalton]

Just listened to The Suburbs again for the first time in a bit and have come to this conclusion: The Suburbs fucks Funeral in the ear hole.

 

[martha]

You know a band that I basically forgot existed? TV On The Radio. Their last album was fucking great.

I was just listening to that the other day. It is fucking great.

 

[Jive Turkey]

Random thought:

Has it ever bugged anybody that Bono uses the word "ground" twice in the first three lines of Angel of Harlem?

It was a cold and wet December day
When we touched the ground at JFK
Snow was melting on the ground

For some reason listening to the song just now, it struck me as sounding really awkward and amateurish. Bad poetry. If I was writing lyrics to a song, I would never repeat the same mundane word twice in such close proximity. And that's why I'm sitting in my computer chair, and he's a super rich, super cool rock star.

Anyway, just a meaningless thought. I do think he was, for the most part, writing great lyrics around the time of this song, and there are some other strong lines within Angel of Harlem, but that part just seems weak.

Weird, I just noticed that the other day too. And yes it's awkward

 

[powerhour24]

I that song, it never fails to pick me up when I'm in a bad mood.

 

[powerhour24]

Just listened to The Suburbs again for the first time in a bit and have come to this conclusion: The Suburbs fucks Funeral in the ear hole.

I'm probably the biggest AF skeptic around these parts, but to me The Suburbs was a lot more self-indulgent than their first 2 albums, those two flowed better and felt concise to me. There are quite a number of tracks I like on The Suburbs, but as a whole I don't find it superior.

 

[iron yuppie]

Random thought:

Has it ever bugged anybody that Bono uses the word "ground" twice in the first three lines of Angel of Harlem?

It was a cold and wet December day
When we touched the ground at JFK
Snow was melting on the ground

For some reason listening to the song just now, it struck me as sounding really awkward and amateurish. Bad poetry. If I was writing lyrics to a song, I would never repeat the same mundane word twice in such close proximity. And that's why I'm sitting in my computer chair, and he's a super rich, super cool rock star.

Anyway, just a meaningless thought. I do think he was, for the most part, writing great lyrics around the time of this song, and there are some other strong lines within Angel of Harlem, but that part just seems weak.

I definitely agree with this. The lines that you have cited stand out to me every time that I hear the song. But that is not to detract from the general excellence of the song.

The Arcade Fire mention reminded me of a thought that I had the other day while listening to The Suburbs: the band might be stronger if Regine was the lead vocalist. Win's lyrics often come across as petulant when he sings them, but Regine imbues them with incredible sincerity. Then again, the fact that she rarely sings lead makes those occasions all the more spellbinding.

 

[powerhour24]

I honestly dislike both vocalists voices.

 

[powerhour24]

Though obviously they work on the AF tracks I appreciate.

 

[LemonMelon]

i have this year's model, blood & chocolate, and my aim is true. i thought i had get happy and at least one other album, but i can't find them if i do...

I've only heard 6 of his albums, but I would say you're definitely missing out if you don't own Armed Forces, Get Happy and Imperial Bedroom.

You know a band that I basically forgot existed? TV On The Radio. Their last album was fucking great.

I used to be wholly on the Dear Science bandwagon, but once I discovered Cookie Mountain had four less songs on it than I thought it did, I found it wasn't such a slog. Great album, both of them.

Is there any reason to hear Bloodthirsty Babes or whatever? The Young Liars EP was nice enough.

Just listened to The Suburbs again for the first time in a bit and have come to this conclusion: The Suburbs fucks Funeral in the ear hole.

Eh, Deep Blue and Rococo exist. And Month of May is a lazy run through 12-bar blues played really loudly, never found that one very inspired. It's a pretty emotional album though, which is the primary thing I like about Funeral, although with that one there's no reason to wait for the highlights to come since only 1 or 2 tracks dip below par. In contrast, the Suburbs spreads its highlights out pretty evenly, more thinly over the second half.

Funeral fucks most albums in the ear hole though, so it's no insult to Suburbs, which probably is the best album of the year. Great comeback from Neon Bible's petulance.

The Arcade Fire mention reminded me of a thought that I had the other day while listening to The Suburbs: the band might be stronger if Regine was the lead vocalist. Win's lyrics often come across as petulant when he sings them, but Regine imbues them with incredible sincerity. Then again, the fact that she rarely sings lead makes those occasions all the more spellbinding.

Win is a basketball-thieving dickhead, but he has strong stage presence and writes the songs, so no one in the band has any right to complain. Plus, most people I know are irritated by Regine on the albums. As charming as I find her onstage, if she cut a solo album, it would be universally panned, Pitchfork apologists aside.

 

[powerhour24]

Regine charming on stage? I think I might live in an alternate universe from you Lem.

 

[iron yuppie]

I'm not challenging Win's song-writing abilities. I just think that Regine inhabits his songs a lot more genuinely than does Win. He often sounds like a seventh-grader scribbling morosely in a journal, to me at least.